QUESTIONS ABOUT SCHOOL LAND PURCHASE

Well, the political process struck the Broward taxpayers again! I'm referring to the School Board's spending $4.3 million for a swamp on which to build High School LLL.

Looking at this from a management standpoint, it was a total disaster. Several questions come to mind:

First, why is this school two years behind schedule? Where is the project manager (that's someone who is well-trained, licensed and knowledgeable in the building of schools for those board members who don't grasp the concept)?

Second, why is the School Board taking the word of the Southwest Ranches' real estate broker, Ira Cor, that the land was 80 percent dry and then persuaded the board to ignore the two cheaper real estate appraisals? Cor, by the way, pocketed $260,340 of taxpayer money for his atrocious behavior (and where was the board's real estate broker in all of this?).

Third, why did Mike Garretson, the school system's deputy superintendent for facilities and construction, go along with this? He should've gone out and inspected the land himself, or at least had someone on staff personally inspect it. (Maybe he didn't want to get his shoes wet.)

Fourth, why was Southwest Ranches' Town Manager John Canada's word not challenged when he said he didn't remember being told by county environmental regulators that the property was totally a wetland? (And why didn't the regulators share that information with the School Board staff?)

Solution: File civil suits against Southwest Ranches, John Canada and Ira Cor to try to recoup our tax dollars. Fire Garretson for incompetence (or buy him a pair of rain boots). Replace any board member who had knowledge of this "mess from the start." And lastly, have the State Attorney's Office investigate this sordid affair for any criminal responsibility and let the chips fall where they may.